Griffey, Valentin lead rallying Reds past Cubs

AROUND THE NLCardinals beat Brewers for 10th win in 11 games

Published 5:30 am, Wednesday, April 27, 2005

CHICAGO - Ken Griffey Jr. more than doubled his RBIs total Tuesday night.

Griffey, who entered with just three RBIs, had a three-run double and a sacrifice fly in the Cincinnati Reds' 11-9 win over the Chicago Cubs.

"It's a matter of time to get some key hits in key situations," said Griffey, who went 1-for-4 and is 5-for-13 in his last three games. "Keep battling: That's all you can do."

With Cincinnati trailing 8-7, Javier Valentin hit a two-run single off Mike Remlinger with two outs in the seventh to out the Reds ahead to stay. Adam Dunn hit a solo homer in the fifth, his second in two days, and has six RBIs in two games.

Valentin and Joe Randa had three hits each for the Reds, who set a season high for runs.

Cincinnati starter Eric Milton allowed eight runs and 11 hits in five innings, but his bullpen saved the day. Three relievers allowed one unearned run.

"Our job is to go out there and throw up zeros," said reliever Ryan Wagner, the University of Houston product who pitched two scoreless innings for the Reds. "The bullpen was excellent."

In other games

•
Cardinals 5, Brewers 3
—
Albert Pujols
was 3-for-5 with a pair of two-run doubles, and closer
Jason Isringhausen
left with an abdominal strain in his right side as host St. Louis won. St. Louis has won 10 of 11 and is a NL-best 13-5, the best start for the Cardinals since they began 13-4 in 1982 and won the World Series.
•
Nationals 3, Phillies 1
—
Brad Wilkerson
connected off previously unbeaten
Jon Lieber
for the first upper-deck home run at RFK Stadium in 34 years while leading host Washington over Philadelphia. The Nationals'

Nick Johnson
extended his major league season-high hitting streak to 16 games with a first-inning home run.
•
Marlins 9, Rockies 3
— At Denver, Spring's
Josh Beckett
(4-1) had a two-run double in Florida's five-run seventh inning and matched teammate
Dontrelle Willis
and Philadelphia's Jon Lieber for the NL lead in wins.
•
Diamondbacks 3, Dodgers 2
—
Shawn Green
had a homer and diving catch against his former team,
Russ Ortiz
pitched six effective innings and red-hot Arizona won at
L.A. Arizona
, which has won five straight, moved within a half-game of the NL West-leading Dodgers.
•
Giants 6, Padres 5
—
J.T. Snow
matched his career high with four hits and drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth to lead host San Francisco. The Padres'
Phil Nevin
extended his hitting streak to 11 games.